The subject of asymmetric hydrogenation, especially using dehydroamino acid derivatives as substrates, is a commercially important area, particularly in the pharmaceutical field.
Cullen reported the use of the 2,3-glucopyranose system for asymmetric hydrogenation of dehydroamino acid derivatives in 1978 (Tetrahedron Lett. 1978, 1635). Similar disclosures were made by Thompson (J. Organometal. Chem. 1978, 159, C29; U.K. 41,806,177 Jul. 10, 1977).
Jackson and Thompson (J. Organomet. Chem. 1978, 159, C29) describe the use of 2,3-diphenylphosphinites of a "D-glucopyranose" for S-phenylalanine and 4,6-diphenylphosphinite of a "D-xylofuranose" for the corresponding R amino acid. Thus, unlike the present invention, in order to make R and S amino acid derivatives altogether different sugar back bones were previously employed. Habus, Raza and Sunjic (J. Mol. Cata. 1987, 42, 173) also report similar results using "D-glucopyranose" and "D-xylopyranose"-derived bis-diphenylphosphinites for the synthesis of R and S-phenylalanine derivatives. The enantioselectivity in each case is low and in contrast to the present invention, reaction conditions are not practical for large scale preparation of these compounds, where high selectivity is needed.
Selke et al. began work in this area in 1978 and has published a series of papers and also patented some of this work. (J. Mol. Catal. 1986, 37, 213, 227; J. Prakt. Chem. 1987, 329(4), 717; J. Mol. Catal. 1989, 56, 315; DD 140 036; DD 240 372; and DD 248 028). Similar to Cullen and Thompson, Selke discloses using a phenyl group on the phosphorus. Unlike Applicants' process, however, the phosphorus phenyl group was unsubstituted and no recognition was disclosed of enhanced enantioselectivity as a function of electron-rich substituents on the phenyl. Further, the Selke, Cullen and Thompson disclosures are limited to ligands using "2,3-dideoxyglucopyranose", "mannopyranose" and "galactopyranose" in systems yielding only S amino acid derivatives.
Other sugar diphosphinites have been examined in both rhodium (J. Org. Chem. 1980, 45, 62) and ruthenium (J. Mol. Catal. 1980, 9, 307) catalyzed hydrogenation reactions. However, low ee's were obtained. Some simple derivatives have also been reported by Sunjic (Sunjic: J. Mol. Catal. 1987, 42, 173); again, in processes yielding low ee values.
Other references disclose carbohydrates as the chiral auxiliary for monophosphinites (Yamashita: Carbohydrate Res. 1981,95 C9; Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 1982, 55, 2917; Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 1986, 59, 175) and phosphines (Sunjic: J. Organometal.Chem. 1989, 370, 295; Nakamura: Chem. Lett. 1980, 7).
Aminophoshine-phosphinites from readily available amino acids have also been used as ligands for asymmetric hydrogenations. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,077, Mar. 24, 1992; Petit, M.; Mortreaux, A.; Petit, F.; Buono, G.; Peiffer, G. Nou. J. Chem. 1983, 593.)